The Balancing Act
by Calai'di
Summary: The former Dark Signers remembered nothing of what they had gone through. And while some of them could be placated by pretty words, Kiryu's hatred ran too deep. But maybe a former ally can help him find his way again. KiryuxBommer, spoilers


AN: I've been meaning to work on this for a while, like since July, but lack of inspiration and other things to do kept that from happening. But since Kiryu's coming back in a few hours, I figured, why not throw up a least a bit in celebration? :)

Disclaimers: I don't own Yugioh 5D's.

Rating: M

Pairings: KiryuxBommer

Warnings: I'll edit this as we get to them. But it _is_ Kiryu centric. I'm sure you can come up with a few. Also, it's somewhat AU.

Summary: After the Earthbound Gods were finally defeated and the Crimson Dragon performed a miracle to bring back those who had died, everything seemed like it should be right as rain. Except the former Dark Signers remembered nothing of what they had gone through. And while some of them could be placated by pretty words, Kiryu's hatred ran too deep. But maybe a former ally can help him find his way again.

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The Balancing Act**

**Prologue**

Cold.

So cold.

Was he dying? It wouldn't surprise him; he'd been waiting for weeks. He knew he was going to die soon. No one lasted long when Security despised them.

But it was so uncomfortable. He'd never thought his death would be _fun_—he was going to die confronting Security and it would be short and sweet and probably painful but at least it wouldn't last long and he could be satisfied that he'd gone down _fighting_. But it wouldn't be _uncomfortable_.

And it wouldn't be so cold. He _hated_ cold.

Then something wrapped around him, comforting and warm and huge and smelling of earth and rain, something he'd thought he wouldn't know again and knew he really wouldn't see again after this.

He wanted to cry.

"Kiryu!"

The warmth ripped away from him, shredded by frozen knives. He felt something cold and hard under him. And rough. Like pavement.

The floor of his cell was covered in pavement. And if wasn't this cold.

"Kiryu! Wake up! _Kiryu_!"

He scowled and turned his head away. That wasn't a voice he'd ever wanted to hear again, unless it was screaming in pain.

A hand touched his shoulder. One of his own shot up, grabbed it, and _twisted_ until he heard the bones creak. He slit an eye open; Yuusei knelt over him, trying not to wince.

Kiryu smirked and twisted Yuusei's wrist again as he sat up. A jolt of satisfaction darted through him when he heard something snap and Yuusei gasp in pain.

"Hello, Yuusei. What a surprise, seeing you here."

"K-Kiryu—"

Kiryu snarled and seized Yuusei's throat with his other hand. How _dare_ he act surprised and _hurt_. How _dare_ he have that _look_ like he thought Kiryu would forgive him for his betrayal, like he thought they could just forget everything and be a family again. He was going to make Yuusei _suffer_ for what he'd done, for the hell he'd had to go through, for the agony he'd felt when he'd turned around and saw what had happened.

"_Yuusei_!"

Suddenly he was on the ground again. His back was on fire. He blinked up at Crow for a brief moment—where the hell had _he_ come from—then shoved him off, snarling. He heard Yuusei trying to catch his breath without being obvious and almost sneered over at him too. That idiot never could ask for help when he needed it.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

Crow was yelling at him. As pissed as he was at the coward, Crow wasn't worth his time or the effort it would take to pay attention to him.

Until a fist slammed into the side of his head. Kiryu snarled again and grabbed that wrist too, twisting Crow's arm back on itself until he let out a whimper of pain.

"This doesn't concern you, _Crow_," Kiryu hissed. "Not right now, anyway. But it will soon enough. Wait your turn. Enjoy your last few minutes of life."

He shoved Crow away and turned back on Yuusei. Yuusei was standing now, probably to try to intimidate him. He wasn't going to let him. He darted out a hand, aiming to grab on of Yuusei's legs and bring him back down to earth.

And something tackled him from behind again. He snarled, struggling against the body pinning his arms in place _restraining him oh god oh god not again please not again_ and maybe eight months ago he would have screamed in rage but he was too tired for that now, just like either he was too tired and _weak_ or Crow had gotten too strong from him to get free.

A hand touched his cheek, his _mark_, that damned marker he was so ashamed and proud of. He snapped at it. He didn't need or want Yuusei's pity.

"Kiryu..."

Again, Yuusei looked hurt. Kiryu could almost see the ground shattering beneath him in his eyes. A small part of him didn't like that, the small part of him that had never been able to let Team Satisfaction go.

"Don't you remember?" Yuusei asked quietly. "The Dark Signers and our duels and the bonds we repaired?"

Kiryu finally looked at him, though it was mostly to spit in his face since he could use his hand to hurt him. But the mark on Yuusei's cheek made him pause.

And now that he thought about it, Crow's face was covered in markers too. Way more markers than Kiryu thought a person could get in eight months.

"What'd you get that marker for, Yuusei?" Kiryu asked softly. "I thought you loved Security."

"I got caught entering Neo Domino," Yuusei answered, absently rubbing his thumb over the bright yellow line. "And for possession of a D-Wheel and destruction of public property. And probably for duelling Jack, but they wouldn't say that."

Kiryu had to laugh at that. If he'd still liked Yuusei, he would have hugged him.

But something in all that didn't ring true to him.

"You don't have a D-Wheel. And what the hell does the City care if you're duelling Jack, besides how much they already cared about the gangs?"

Yuusei blinked, eyes shining with surprise. "I built a D-Wheel. I built two, actually, but Jack took the first one so he could enter Neo Domino. He was the Duel King for almost two years."

Kiryu almost believed him for a moment. Then he kept talking and saying more and more incredible things and it was obvious he was lying and trying to make fun of him and he _hated_ that.

"That's _impossible_. It's only been eight fucking months. Try harder, won't you, maybe I'll believe a better lie and you can prove what you really are again."

Yuusei and Crow looked at each other for a moment. Kiryu would have taken the opportunity to start strangling one or both of them, but he really was curious as to why they seemed so shocked by that. And something was starting to nag at him, saying that maybe he should let them explain before he killed them.

Yuusei knelt down in front of him. Kiryu surprised himself by actually letting him.

"Kiryu," Yuusei started. He started like that a lot. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Kiryu felt his face forming into another snarl. "Staring at the wall of my _cell_, _praying_ for death. What do you fucking _think_?"

Yuusei's eyes turned sad again. Kiryu was starting to hate seeing that.

"I think we have a lot to tell you..."


End file.
